Journies
by bohemiange
Summary: What if the day that Junior and Kris ran off together went differently? What if Jean never got hurt? Story but not first chapter set after "Life's Too Short" First story, please read and review.
1. The Morning Light

THE MORNING LIGHT

THE MORNING LIGHT

The morning light gently awakened Junior from a pleasant dream the he had recently been having.

_In their favorite open field, Kris was riding Wildfire as Junior rode beside her on a beautiful white stallion. Their fingers were tangled softly with each other's, and Kris was smiling broadly at him. In these dreams he could always feel the warmed metal of her wedding ring against his skin. All he could think about was how beautiful his wife looked as she rocked slowly from the motion of the horse, her hair falling freely onto the gentle curves of her body, her lips forming the words 'I love you'…_

It was at this point that he woke up, only slightly disappointed to leave the glowing field because he knew his subconscious was almost the truth. Almost.

It was at this point that he felt the pleasant form of his sweetheart against his body, her chest gently rising and falling with the wind of her dreams.

And it was at this point that he realized, every single day, that this was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Junior hadn't realized that his hand had moved to her waist which lay, fitting perfectly, intertwined with his. Stroking her with his thumb, he loved feeling the perfect grace of her skin, the faultless shape of her body.

Kris had awoken and was looking up at him. Her head remained resting on his chest and she smiled. "Hey," she said quietly, surprising him.

Her waking was a pleasant surprise, yet Junior was caught off guard. "Hey," he managed, slowly. They had come to greet each other this way. Something told them that by only being with other, not much else needed to be said. Almost as if whenever they caught each other's gaze, that one word was able to hold everything else that could possibly be said.

Junior reached for her hand and received bare fingers, yet again. Kris knew what this was about. "Dreaming again?" she asked, knowingly. He nodded yes.

"Don't let it get to you, babe," she muttered tiredly. "We have each other, right?" She continued, already expecting another nodding response, "We have each other, and that's what matters the most right now."

He silently digested what she was saying, the words he had heard quite often recently. "I love you, Kris," was all he said, almost pleadingly.

"I love you too," Kris replied. And she did. She really, really loved him, but she knew that so many things had to be done, so many relationships patched, so many lies rectified, before they could truly enjoy a life together. And she knew that Junior was upset, because she was too.

At that moment her phone rang, vibrating against the nightstand. The guilt was shaking it, breaking it, breaking her, taunting her. She looked up at Junior who had just released a long exasperated breath, his eyes closed yet denied of sleep.

Turning back to the table that was being tormented by her phone, Kris read RAINTREE on the flashing screen. Raintree was calling, screaming, ringing, ringing…

This is my first story so if you like it please review. If I get a few I may continue. Sorry this was so short, but it was more of a preview. Hope you enjoyed!


	2. Gone

GONE

GONE

Okay, so this chapter takes place before the first. I really hope I don't confuse anyone! This is set right after _Life Is Short_ (you know, when abcfamily took that super annoying 6 week break?). Mmkay. I hope we're clear.

"_So, are we really gonna do this?"_

"_Yeah, we are."_

It was getting late. When Junior had asked Kris where she wanted to go, they had decided to go wherever the road took them.

"How about dinner?" Junior suggested through the silence.

"Sounds good enough. I'm starved, come to think about it." She ran her hand through her hair, her eyes searching for somewhere to eat along the road.

The area was completely flat for miles around, and a few old signs spotted the side of the road, indicating 'Bob's hardware' or 'Jim's realty'. _Talk about country_, she thought, not seeing anything close to appetizing.

"_Freaking out?"_

"_Yeah. But I can't wait!"_

Junior pulled into a small parking lot on the left side of the freeway. The little metallic building wore a sign that read 'Barb's'. "Great choice of a place," Kris groaned under her breath. When Junior heard her he silently scolded himself for having chosen a diner with the name of Kris' estranged mother.

"Don't worry about it, I'm just messing with you," she added after noticing the look on his face. Junior shuffled his feet when he stepped out of the car. _Why is he being so shy?_ she wondered. It just then hit her that they really had only been back together for a matter of hours. In fact, less than a week ago, Junior had been at the altar about to marry another woman. Yet it felt as if they had never left each other.

She walked around to meet him at the other side of the car, reading him easily. "Hey," she said softly as she grabbed his hand. "It's just like before, okay? Nothing has changed." That seemed to calm his nerves a bit. He was astonished at how well she read him, as if he had told her everything he was feeling. "Let's eat."

The couple was met at the door by a smiling woman. "Welcome to Barb's," she said with a slight southern slur.

"Thanks," Junior said extra cheerfully. Kris looked at him and he shrugged nervously. When they were seated at a 50s-like booth by the window, Junior's hands, which rested on the table, were still fidgeting.

Kris placed a hand on top of his and smiled. "So," he said. "What now?"

A question with no real answer.

"_You're asking me to choose between you and Raintree."_

"_Yes, I am." He paused. "Please, choose me."_

"_I do!"_

"Well I have been thinking about everything that's happened today. And I…I don't want you to take this the wrong way because I love you and I did choose you," Kris said hurriedly, not meeting his gaze. "But I just, I just feel guilty about picking up and leaving Raintree. Just like that. Without telling Matt. Or anyone, really, except Jean."

Junior looked down regretfully at their hands that still lay across the table, afraid of what she might say next. "I don't want to lose you again, Kris," was all he said.

**Raintree**

"She _what?_" Matt asked slowly. "She…she…Mom." He was speechless. How could Kris do this to him? To the family and the ranch?

Jean looked up at her son who had jumped out of his seat, loudly pushing his chair aside in the process. "I really didn't want to have to tell you this Matt. But Kris is a grown woman now; she's not still the girl that came to us from Camp LaGrange," she said, shaking her head. "She has the right to make her own decisions."

Matt slammed his fist on the table. "Damnit, Mom! How can you be so calm about this?"

"Matt Ritter," Jean replied forcefully with a gaze that made Matt lose most of his nerve. "You sit yourself down and talk to me in a civilized way, young man."

"I…I'm sorry, I just…" he stammered. Matt pulled his chair back up to the table, his mind racing. He stared down at his hands which he had released from clenched fists. "Does Pablo know about this?" he asked suddenly, calming down.

"I was planning on telling him this afternoon. I have to work some things out first." And she did. Now that the farm was into racing once more they needed all the help that they could find, let alone a potential jockey if Kris could regain her jockey's license.

"But Mom, didn't you try to stop her?" His voice began to rise again after he realized all the damage that Kris had done. Again.

Jean considered how to answer him. "I talked to her after I saw the two of them together and told her that their relationship would complicate things with the two ranches," she paused, searching his face for emotion before continuing, "and you."

"Damnit, Mom!" he repeated, louder than before. "I don't need your pity," he spat as he once more shot up from the table, this time knocking over the chair. Matt punched the wall with all of his anger and stormed out.

A million things raced through his mind. He thought about Kris and Junior, and remembered how he could never compete with his friend when it came to her. Even when Junior was engaged, Kris said that they couldn't be together. _They are so selfish, _he thought. His mind wandered to Wildfire, and the ranch. How much time would it take to fill her space on the farm? Or in his heart?

**Barb's**

Their hands fit together so well. Even as Junior's hand toyed with hers and her fingers played with his, they fit perfectly. And both of them stared at that, the simplicity yet the significance of their two hands, wanting to be with each other, needing each other.

"I was just thinking maybe I could call to see if everyone…everything was okay," Kris said, breaking the silence. "I mean, don't you think we owe it to them to tell them where we are, or what we're about to do?"

"What, do you want to call Matt?" he asked, a bit irritated. Kris shrugged and shook her head. She really didn't know what to do. Maybe if she just filled them in a little bit…

Junior interrupted her thoughts. "Can we do this after dinner, please?" Kris agreed and they picked up their menus for the first time.

**Raintree**

Matt lay on his bed, tossing a baseball like he always did when he needed to do some hard thinking. After the feelings of jealousy that he had believed to have been forgotten had passed, the anger set it. He was overwhelmed with a newfound malice towards the girl who had taken his heart and ran away with his best friend, the girl who had betrayed his family. Just then he heard the phone ring. At first he ignored it. But when the simple CallerID-less phone rang again, he couldn't help but answer, wanting to know who was calling. "Hello?" he asked impatiently.

**Barb's**

Dinner was quick and quiet; both were exhausted. "One second," Kris muttered hurriedly as she got up and headed towards a small bathroom in the corner of the diner. She closed the door and leaned against it, her nerves beginning to take her over. She pulled out her cell phone from her back pocket. _I have to do this. For me._ Slowly and shakily, she dialed the number to Matt's room, only half heartedly hoping that he would be there to answer. When he didn't, she stubbornly tried again, not wanting to feel cowardly by giving up.

She was in luck: he picked up.

"Matt?"

AN: I apologize for this being really choppy, my creative juices weren't so fluid today…


	3. I Chose You

I CHOSE YOU

**AN: This chapter gets pretty mature towards the end. This is a warning. Please enjoy and give feedback.**

"Matt?" she answered nervously.

There was a pause as Kris' voice registered in Matt's mind. "I can't possibly _imagine_ what you have to say to me, Kris," he shouted, his voice constantly rising. "But on second thought, I really don't care," Matt spat, abruptly hanging up the phone.

Kris heard the dial tone on the other end of the line before she got a chance to ask him for a chance to explain.

The moment that Kris Furillo put her phone away was the moment that the guilt began to set it. It was the same moment that a war began inside of her. Her mind battled over what to tell Junior, and it turned over and over the idea that she might not ever be able to return to Raintree

Shaken, she returned to the table where Junior was handing the waitress the check. He eyed her skeptically. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," she said dismissively. "You ready to get out of here?" she continued hurriedly.

"Sure…" With Junior's arm around her waist they left the small diner. "So. You wanted to talk about Raintree, didn't you?"

"No, it's fine. I mean, if they call or something then we'll talk to them, I guess," Kris rushed nervously.

"Sure…" Junior repeated, confused yet excited to drop the topic. As the two entered the car, he smiled. "What next, then?"

"Well I'm exhausted. How about we call it a day," Kris said, her mind far from him at the moment.

"Or a night," he responded suggestively. She rolled her eyes and once again searched the road, this time for somewhere to spend the night. She could not keep her mind from returning to Raintree. The guilt tormented her. She really cared about the family and the farm and continued to question her decision to leave with Junior. By now he was eyeing her.

"I know that you're not _that_ worried about somewhere to stay tonight. You're frowning. What's on you mind?" Kris was pulled away from her thoughts.

She placed her hand on his leg and looked at him as if he was crazy, playing it off. "I have _no_ idea what you're talking about mister. The only thing that I'm thinking about is spending the rest of my life with _you_," she exclaimed as she leaned over and kissed his smiling face. "There's no way that could make me worry." She locked her fingers in his reassuringly and smiled back at him.

Kris didn't know how to feel during their ride. She silently chided herself for having doubted their decision, but could not discard the Ritters from her mind. However, she promised to not worry herself tonight and to simply enjoy her time with Junior.

After a few minutes they reached a hotel. A young smiling woman waited as they approached the front desk. When he arrived, Junior drummed his thumbs anxiously against the marble, unsure of why his nerves were acting up.

"Hi, um, we need a room for one night please."

"Okay hold on Mr…"

"Davis. Kenneth Davis Jr."

"Okay, Mr. Davis," she said cheerfully as she typed rapidly on her computer. "You're in luck because we have several openings. Would you like one bed or two?"

Kris blushed as Junior turned to her, awaiting a response.

"One is fine," she responded softly, quickly glancing at Junior, then away. She grabbed his hand and he squeezed back.

The attendant smiled back at their silently laughing faces and attacked her keyboard once more. "Okay, great!" she said, enthusiastically. "You'll be staying in room 301 tonight." Junior took the key card that she handed him. "Don't be too loud, there are others on the corridor too!"

Junior laughed openly but Kris didn't find it so funny. She yanked his arm warningly and led him down the hall.

The room was huge. In fact, it was several rooms. Both Kris and Junior were surprised. Walls that ran halfway across the room separated a kitchen, a small living room, and a bedroom. A beautiful bathroom was on the far side of the bedroom.

"Junior, why did…"

"I didn't, I promise. I thought she was just going to give us a standard studio."

He couldn't complain, though. "People just love to do me favors, I guess," he gloated as he looked around proudly. Kris pushed him aside for his cockiness and walked towards the bed in the next room. Soon they had both settled their bags beside the bed and taken off their shoes.

"Well, I don't know about you but I'm exhausted," Kris said through a yawn.

"Lies." He could be such a little boy sometimes, she thought. He wrapped his arms around her and rocked her gently. "All lies," he whispered in her ear. Kris wanted to push him away and just sleep but she felt so safe and warm in his arms, almost as if they had missed absolutely no time together.

She pulled him onto the bed by his shirt and he quickly met her lips. She groaned quietly as his tongue moved into the bottom of her mouth.

"You'd be surprised at how tired a girl can get," she finally said as she pushed Junior off of her.

Junior did not resist but instead he laughed. "When have I ever given up that easily on you, Kris?" She couldn't help but smile because she knew the truth in his statement.

Kris lay on her back, staring at the ceiling, teasing him. "Hmm?" Junior asked, as if he really wanted an answer. Again, Kris couldn't hold back a smile. He scooted closer to her so that he was pressed up against her side. She felt his warm hand moving up her leg suggestively and his soft lips meet her neck. Everything seemed so sudden between the two of them so she wanted to make him wait, yet she knew just as well as he did that she could not; she had never been able to resist him. Junior indeed knew that just as well as she did.

Kris turned on her side to face him.

As she placed her hand on the back of his neck she pulled him in tight, smiling. Junior kissed her quickly, moving on top of her. Now he was silent. He slowly began to remove Kris' blouse, constantly breaking the kiss. She pulled him back, frustrated with him, but he instead went for her neck. She arched her back slightly and dug her head into the pillows, moaning. Kris began pulling at the buttons of his shirt: she was tired of being teased. Junior finished the job while still kissing her.

He took off her shirt and pulled down her jeans and she did the same to him. He moved his soft lips down her chest, nudging aside her bra as he removed it. After they had removed each other's underwear, Junior began kissing her over her entire body, fully enjoying the sweet taste of Kris' skin. He was only just below her belly button when he heard her mutter his name impatiently. He crawled back up, knowing he couldn't hold back any longer anyway.

Junior kissed her passionately as he entered her and she pulled away from the kiss, gasping. He moved slowly at first, but started to get faster, along with Kris' quiet whimpers. When she drew a sharp breath, he thought he was hurting her and gently asked "Are you okay? Do you want me to stop?"

Without speaking she threw her arms around him and pulled him in quickly. He once again began kissing her neck and Kris shut her eyes, trying to remember to breathe. She felt something so chemical, so physical towards this man and she loved him so much. In the love that they made this was apparent.

When they both reached their climax, Junior remained on top of her and kissed her softly. She gently pushed him off but continued to kiss him back. "I love you," she whispered.

He smiled. "I love you," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. The two lay together through the night; time had abandoned them. They lay there without a care in the world. Young, in love, together.


End file.
